Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer: Shahid Iqbal Khan
Director: Sâmir Bhamra
“Tender & Reflective”
4 / 5
Yasser is one of the most unlikely people to partake in the tradition of itikaf. He spends most of his time trying to go viral on Tik Tok and getting drunk with his friends, not giving too much thought to the religion he was raised in during his day-to-day life. But, when one of his best friends Aftab passes away in a tragic accident, Yasser tries to pay homage to his memory and fulfil a goal Aftab will now never be able to do himself, while also learning more about himself and his religion across the course of the 10 Nights.
Azan Ahmed takes the helm in this one-man show as Yasser – though he also portrays additional characters at the Mosque such as judgemental friend Usman, a friendly itikaf guide and his disappointed father. Ahmed is extremely charismatic, humorously breaking the fourth wall and lightly scolding audience members whose phones go off or make too much noise rustling snack packets. He deftly switches accents and mannerisms to become the various different characters, easily and enjoyably taking the audience on the journey of self-discovery with Yasser.
It’s extremely touching seeing the progress that Yasser makes throughout the narrative. Initially he’s nervous and embarrassed, not knowing how to correctly perform wudu and struggling not to countdown the minutes until he can break fast. But as the nights pass, he slowly gets more aligned with his faith, becoming more familiar with the Quran and reflecting on his lifestyle, introspectively acknowledging the changes he needs to make when his itikaf ends. There’s an element of raw honesty within the script that really helps to bring the characters to life – Yasser isn’t an expert with his faith, he’s worried about doing the wrong thing and keeping up with others around him, which makes him believable and relatable, and ultimately, makes you more drawn to him as a character.
Shahid Iqbal Khan’s writing is poignant but humorous, written with such tender honesty that it’s impossible not to automatically connect with the storyline – no matter what faith or background you’re from. The set is simple but appealing – with projected images on the back wall of the stage from Rudi Okasili-Henry to differentiate between various locations throughout the script, as well as captions in English and Urdu. Whether you’re familiar with Islamic practices or not – the storyline is very accessible, allowing everyone to connect with Yasser as a character, while also possibly learning something new along the way.
Runs Until 21 February 2024
RatedReviewed 
Leave a comment